1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of consumer products, and in particular to a remote control device for the control of a variety of devices comprising a multi-media system.
2. Description of Related Art
Remote control devices are common in the art. xe2x80x9cUniversalxe2x80x9d remote control devices are commonly used to control a variety of components, or appliances, that comprise a typical home video system. These remote control devices typically include a xe2x80x98modexe2x80x99 button, or set of buttons, that determines which component is being controlled. For example, the remote device may include a selector button for choosing between a VCR, a Cable box, a Satellite box, a television, and so on. When the user selects a particular mode, the other buttons on the remote device are configured to emit the appropriate transmission corresponding to the intended controlled component. For example, when the user selects TV, and subsequently hits the xe2x80x98channel-upxe2x80x99 key, the remote device transmits the code that is associated with effecting a channel-up action on the user""s television. If the user selects SAT, and subsequently hits the same xe2x80x98channel-upxe2x80x99 key, the remote device transmits a different code; in this case, the code that is associated with effecting a channel-up action on the user""s satellite-television control box is transmitted. That is, the mode of the remote device controls the mapping of button closures to a particular set of command codes, each set of command codes being associated with a component that is associated with each mode option.
Some universal control devices also include configurable default mappings of select buttons. For example, if the universal control device is provided by the vendor of a cable-control box that does not include a volume control, the vendor may pre-configure the remote control device to use the volume control codes associated with the user""s television whenever the remote device is in either the television mode or the cable mode. This allows the user to adjust the volume without effecting a mode-change from the cable mode. In like manner, some universal control devices include a xe2x80x98learnxe2x80x99 or xe2x80x98copyxe2x80x99 feature, wherein select keys on the control device includes a receiver that records codes from another remote control device, and associates each recorded code to a select key on the control device. In this manner, the control device can record codes from control devices associated with different components, thereby allowing the control device to control different components without requiring a mode change. For example, volume-changing codes from a television remote control can be recorded by the universal control device and associated to the volume-up and volume-down keys of the universal control device, and channel-changing codes from a VCR remote control can be recorded by the same universal control device, and associated with the channel-up and channel-down keys. The recording of a code for each key on a universal remote control device, however, is a tedious process, because it generally requires the activation of the different component remote control devices to transmit each code, and a corresponding identification of the key on the universal devices that is to be associated with the transmitted code. Generally, therefore, most universal control devices allow for an identification of a particular component, via a code number, and associate each device function code to the particular keys of the remote control device automatically. Thereafter, as discussed above, the user selects which component""s function codes are to be associated with the keys of the universal remote control device via a mode selection.
Despite the availability of universal remote control devices, most homes that have more than one or two controllable components are likely to be found with more than one remote control device readily on hand. Often, it is easier to merely pick up a different control device for particular components or functions, such as rarely used components, rather than changing the mode of a remote control device, and then dealing with the consequences of forgetting to change the mode back to its normal mode before pressing a button intended to control another component. Also, in some households, for example, some occupants prefer to listen to the audio portion of any program through the home""s xe2x80x98surround-soundxe2x80x99 system, while others prefer to listen to the audio portion of programs, such as the news programs and the like from the local television speakers. In such an environment, the use of separate controllers for volume control, one for the surround-sound system, and one for the television, is often preferred.
Additionally, in a complex multi-media system, with multiple input and output options, changing from one mode of entertainment to another can be a daunting task, particularly to non-technical users. Changing from watching a satellite-TV news broadcast to watching a DVD movie, for example, often requires changing the video input to the television, turning off the power to the satellite receiver, turning on the power to the DVD player, switching the audio from the television console to a stereophonic audio system, adjusting the audio system to the user""s preferred listening level, and so on.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and system that facilitates the configuration of a remote control device for use in a multiple-component system. It is a further object of this invention to provide a remote control device that eases the task of controlling components within a multiple component system. It is a further object of this invention to provide a remote control device and system that facilitates user-specific control of the system. It is a further object of this invention to provide a remote control device and system that serves to integrate components in a multiple-component system.
These objects and others are achieved by providing a remote control device and system that is system-aware, and activity-aware. The remote control device provides commands and options based on the configuration of components in a user""s environment, and based on a defined user activity. A storage device contains a user profile that includes the configuration of components at the user""s environment, and defined set of user activities, such as xe2x80x9cwatching televisionxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cviewing a moviexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cwatching a sports programxe2x80x9d, and so on. Each user activity has a corresponding mapping of keys on the remote control device to facilitate the user activity. When the user identifies a preferred activity, the remote control device communicates commands to the components of the system to support the activity, and subsequently communicates commands to each component corresponding to this activity. A user may store multiple user activities, and the storage device may contain configurations and activities from multiple users.